Alastair Cook began his final Test with a half-century but Indian pacers hit back late in the day at the Kennington Oval.

Alastair Cook received a guard of honour from players from England and India at the start of the fifth Test after England skipper Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first. Andhra’s Hanuma Vihari became the 292nd Test player for India as the 24-year-old was handed his Test cap. On what seemed like a slowish pitch, England openers Cook and Keaton Jennings had no trouble as such to play out the first hour of play and went on to add their second 50-run stand of the series.

Ravindra Jadeja, playing his first game of the series, had Jennings caught at slips for 23, thus ending the opening stand at 60. England ended the first session at 68/1. Post lunch, Cook compiled his 57th Test fifty off 139 deliveries. This was the first time an opener scored a fifty in the series.

Moeen Ali and Cook then blunted the Indian attack for a while combining for a 73-run stand for the second wicket. They took England to tea at 123/1. Cook then played one on to his stumps when on 71 off a Jasprit Bumrah back of a length delivery. That opened the floodgates.

Three balls later, Bumrah trapped England skipper Joe Root in front with a ball that seamed in even as Joe Root was on the move. Root took the review but in vain.
Ishant Sharma then brought India back in the game with a perfect delivery to a right-hander as Jonny Bairstow departed for yet another duck in the series. England slumped to 134/4 after being 133/1. Moeen and Ben Stokes then stuck around for a bit with the former notching up his 13th Test fifty.

Jadeja then send back Stokes on 11 trapping him in front and that opened the floodgates once again for India. Ishant then put in an inspired spell of fast bowling late in the session claiming Moeen and Sam Curran in the same over to leave England at 181/7.

Editorial team of CricketCountry.

First Published on September 8, 2018 8:34 AM ISTLast updated on September 8, 2018 8:34 AM IST